9 Reasons Why Sinners Went To Jesus (the Friend of Sinners) But Don’t Come To Us

1. Because we complain:

About politics, abortion, Islam, liberal media, sex, taxes and _____________. But honestly, who likes hanging out with whiny-complaining people? You can love them, but it’s hard to enjoy them. Serious is not a fruit of the spirit; complaining was not part of the plan. Jesus was a happy friend of sinners. And notice how little He had to say about the brutally corrupted empire He lived in.

“Our task is not to protest the world into a certain moral conformity, but to attract the world to the saving beauty of Christ.” Brian Zahnd / Beauty Will Save The World

2. Because we preach to them but don’t feed them:

When I tell people about our upcoming adoption, their hearts open to hear the rest of our God story. The world is hungry for a life that is beyond itself. They are looking for joy, purpose and sacrifice. But the church keeps trying to lure them with riches, success and power.

Jesus preached to the crowd of 5 thousand and then He feed every single one of them. Somehow we want to preach to the crowds and get them to feed the preaching few. #Backwards

I know that good works won’t save anyone… but they reveal the One who does.

3. Because we sin (while telling them we don’t):

And then we call them the sinners (like I have done). You see, we all fail! And the world would be way more attracted to us if we just admitted that. Jesus never sinned but He was comfortable with his humanity; and that made Him approachable.

He experienced hunger, anger, tiredness and pain. And we know He did because He experienced those things while in the company of others. He was not afraid to be real, to be weak, to be human.

4. Because they read the comment section in our blogs:

Jesus said that the world would believe we were from God when we became one with each other. It was His last prayer before the cross. His ultimate request to the Father. And He’s still waiting for the answer. (John 17)

Check out my top 5 posts in HappySonship.com and you will see what I mean (and I’m just as guilty as anyone else).

“We must have unity, not at all costs, but at all risks. A unified Church is the only offering we dare present to the coming Christ, for in it alone will He find room to dwell.” – Charles H. Brent / With God in The World

5. Because we forget to tell stories:

Jesus used parables and images that people could relate to. His plan was not to explain things step by step, but to open the hearts to something greater, a story that was beautiful, an upside down Kingdom.

In Luke 15 it says that the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And then He shared the stories of the good shepherd, the lost coin and the prodigal son.

6. Because we categorize sins:

No one likes the “I’m better than you” mentality. And sometimes that is precisely what we do with our salvation, use it as a calling card for superiority.

“To Him, all sin is equally evil, and all sinners are equally lovable.” – Judah Smith / Jesus is _______

7. Because we don’t hang out with them:

Simple. Go make friends with an atheist, a buddhist, a homosexual. You will quickly realize that they are beautiful and broken, just like you. At home we got tired of teaching about this, so we started to engage. And in a weird way, making non-Christian friends has saved us just as much as it has saved them.

“Befriending someone so that you can evangelize them is manipulative and undermining of trust.” Christine Pohl / Friendship in the Margins.

8. Because we don’t heal them:

Jesus did. And that makes all the difference.

When people are in pain (physical and/or emotional) they are open to anything that heals. They just want the pain to stop. And Jesus healed every kind of disease and sickness for everyone that came to Him.

It’s time to rediscover the supernatural ways of our way.

“If you assign ten new believers the task of studying the Bible to find God’s heart for this generation, not one of them would conclude that spiritual gifts are not for today.” Bill Johnson’s latest book: The Power That Changes the World

9. Because we ourselves don’t go to Jesus:

The Bible is clear, We love because He first loved us. It starts and ends with Him. And it’s very possible that we have little to offer to our lost generation because we are lost ourselves. We need fresh bread… and we all know how enticing fresh bread smells!

“My deepest awareness of myself is that I am deeply loved by Jesus Christ and I have done nothing to earn it or deserve it.” Brennan Mannin / The Ragamuffin Gospel

If you enjoyed this post, I’d be very grateful if you’d help it spread by emailing it to a friend, or sharing it on Twitter or Facebook. Thank you!

Jonathan Merrittsaid it best, “Christ preached the Kingdom everywhere he went, but He also indiscriminately and unconditionally forged relationships with those at the margins of society, offering them a seat at the table.”

I’m praying for a move of God that finds us saving the lost as oppose to saving Christianity. I hope awareness help us get there.

Carlos is a pastor, communicator, provocative preacher and the author of Simply Sonship and Drop The Stones. Together with his wife Catherine, they have two gorgeous boys and are awaiting a baby girl through adoption. Oh yeah, he’s also Puerto Rican and can’t wait to tell you all about it.

21 Responses

I am a relatively new Christian of thirteen years I am now 70 years old. I can certainly relate to a lot of the comments. One in particular is No. 7. Living and working in the secular world for 57 years prior to becoming a Christian taught me a lot about sin. I have a Phd in sinning. But a lot of the Christians in my church practice a faith of separation. They only hang with congregation members or like thinking people. I personally only have two good friends in the church I attend. A church of 800 plus. A few years back our new Pastor brought in a program that teaches members about other religions and cultures. They also go door to door. To me this was about teaching members about life outside the church doors. Something I believe a lot of them failed to recoqnize. This “course” only lasts for a week or so.

I have met people who raised their children in the same way. Only a Christian school, christian friends and church socials for children. Period. This is of course not particularly wrong but is does a disservice to the children. Who are caught unaware of the secular world a world where everyone lives. Temptation is rampant.

Unaway I have said enough. Good columns Pastor Carlos I look forward to reading them.

Dear Pastor Carlos, I have been praying about getting baptized and have struggled with the commitment it represents in no small part because my understanding of Christians has been shaped by people who embody the list you wrote. People who’ll tell me I’m doing it wrong because their denomination is the RIGHT denomination, even as they’ll tell me Christ is for all people. I struggle to reconcile their words with their deeds. Your post was a breath of fresh air…thank you.

I don’t deny that some Christians complain a lot, but are you saying we should keep silent about politics, Obama, abortion, Islam, liberal media, sex, taxes and _____________? Jesus didn’t say much about the Roman government, but he had plenty to say about the Jewish leaders and, yes, sinners did come to him, but I think there was something about his being crucified also. That’s pretty evident that they didn’t all like Him. One of the reasons Jesus didn’t “complain” about politics may have been that it was non-negotiable, there was no right to vote. I think the danger is going to extremes, either to the point that we are sanctimonious and unloving or we just don’t mention sin and let people continue in their sin and go to hell. Jesus did say that the world hated him and the world would also hate his people. I think John the Baptist wasn’t liked by everyone because he “complained” about Herod taking his brother’s wife. Having said all that, I don’t intend to be all critical because I don’t know you personally, but I understand you are doing a great work and we are all in this together. I also understand that you can’t address every aspect in a short article. I just seem to see a growing tendency for pastors, evangelists, and teachers to seemingly want to place most of the blame of sinners rejecting Christ on Christians who are not quite perfect, I believe we will all give an account for failing to be the Christian we should be, but we need to remember that people don’t go to hell because God’s people are less than perfect. John chapter 3 tells us that people reject Jesus because they love the darkness rather than the light. Mahatma Gandhi tried to blame his rejection of Christianity on Christians by saying he liked Christ but did not like Christians, but in his autobiography he was pretty plain that about the only thing he liked about Christ was the Sermon on the Mount and could not accept him as the Son of God and there were other people who were just as good or better than Jesus. I just wanted to give a different perspective and that may be all you are doing so if I am way off the mark you can respond here or feel free to email me. I am one of those who share a lot on FB about some of the things you mentioned and I think that is OK to a point. My problem is that if I am not careful I find myself making people more aware of the negatives and not enough about the positives. If that happens then I agree with you 100%. A very thought provoking article that I may need to read more than once. Thanks.

Mr. Little, Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world. Politics is concerned with the kingdom of this world, regardless of whether a nation is a democracy or dictatorship. If you are sharing a lot on FB about politics, your mind will grow increasingly concerned with the things of this world and less concerned with the things of the kingdom of God.

Jesus did speak out often against the Jewish leaders, but the parallel in our time is the religious leaders of the church, not the political leaders of our nation. But I see many Christians saving their passion for political criticism, not religious criticism. This is the opposite of what Jesus was doing. He was not concerned with the government at all — either as something to address or as something to avoid. He was concerned with another realm altogether — the kingdom of heaven which he was bringing to earth through his life and death.

There is a difference between calling someone out and complaining bitterly. Jesus, spoke about the Jewish leaders in a way to inform people and to bring correction. The complaining mentioned here is when Christians complain bitterly about things, especially things of this world and not in a way to bring ccorrection or enlightenment, but just simply because they are dissatisfied with whatever it is they are complaining about. Also, no matter what kind of government you are under, people will complain. Jesus didn’t complain not because it was non-negotiable, but because He knows that Gods kigdom is not of this wold. That’s why Jesus said, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. There is a healthy balance of being informed of what is going on in our world and it is easy to cross over into being overly concerned with what is going on. We are to bring peace to the situation when people have fear of what is happening, not add to the chaos.

I don’t agree that people don’t go to hell because of Christians falling short. If that were the case, then you could choose to not live as Christ said to and be okay. Many times Christians do lead others astray. Jesus give the Be Attitudes and many other scriptures to help us grow as Christians because the world is watching us. Our neighbors are watching. And if what we do does not line up with what we say, we leave a bad taste and some will not come to Christ if that is done. That’s why 1 Corinthians 10:23, “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.”______33 -I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.

I can help with #8. Email me if you need Jesus to heal / take pain away from your body now. [email protected]

Jesus died on the cross for our sins, he was buried, rose from the grave on the 3rd day. And HE said, those who believe or trust in Him and what He did, will be saved and have eternal life and not perish. And Those who believe and have Him in there spirit can then turn around and lay hands on the sick and the sick will recover / healed in His name. About 3 weeks ago I had prayed for my left arm that’s been hurting for about 6 months + and the pain was gone the next day. Blew my mind and I started stepping out and pray for others & they experience the same. I was inspired by some guys on YouTube doing the same on the streets. Check out Pete Cabrera, Thomas Fischer, Daniel Chand, Tom Loud on YouTube. They are at a higher level currently than where I am now. Let me know what you think.

I think the title of the article is the reason “sinners” won’t come to us. Somehow our theology has become Us verses them. We being the good and they the bad. In reality Jesus came to save bad people. That’s all that exists.

I thought I should drop a quick comment. I am by no means a great writer, but I am a sinner. There were quite a few areas of this article as i breezed over it that stood out. The one that stood out a lot was about how all sin is equal. This doesn’t make sense. This would be like telling a police officer that you should receive the same fine for murder that you would recieve for speeding. It is true that God hates all sin, and that He will forgive all sin. This does not make all sin equal however. I think most people understand God is all loving otherwise we would not be around this day. Iron sharpens iron and we should always be trying to reach perfection in Christ. We have to be carful not Devolop theory that will cause us to become lax with are lives thinking that we must do nothing to aquire the heaven God offers and wishes for us.”God created us without us:but he did not will to save us without us.” We should all continue to grow are knowledge of God daily if we are true Christians. A great practice is praying with scripture listening carefully to what God is saying back to you. Reading good literature besides the bible is excellent as well, particularly literature from the beginning of Jesus’s church.

None of what you said shows how God views some sins as being worse than others. Of course all sin is equal, to GOD. We, humans view sin differently in our own moral and justice systems. This is why thieves aren’t executed like a serial killer would be. God, however, only sees that we’ve sinned and that he’s offered to take away that sin. He doesn’t care what individual act it is that you’ve done, whether it’s get drunk or being gay. It’s sin, it shows a need we have for God and it shows the imperfections in our hearts that he offers to take away.

Tl;dr You haven’t shown any sources that says that some sin is worse than others. God’s grace is for all sins. Don’t try to judge others as being worse than you because they’ve done something YOU deem as being worse. That’s not God’s way, at all. Period.

I think you misinterpreted the author’s point. I think he was saying Christians categorizing sin is a reason the world doesn’t like us. He never said God categorize sin. Christians like to point at the drug addict and homosexual without calling themselves out on looking at porn or being untruthful or divorce, etc. Hence “No one likes the ‘I’m better than you’ mentality.”

You say many things that are so true. We have strayed so far from God and He is the first one to be blamed when things go wrong. Jesus left a commission to His disciples just before He left earth to return to heaven and its for us to follow also. John 14: 15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. Yet many don’t want to hear of Him and continue to walk on lonely and downcast instead of looking upwards. Thanks for caring. forwardonourknees.blogspot.com

We’re in the great falling away that was prophesied in the Bible, and a few blog articles pointing out this crisis isn’t going to change anything. The churches are in complete spiritual ruins and have been compromised by a secular and humanistic culture. It would be fundamentally dangerous for any new Christian to attend any church thinking he will grow in the faith that way. The glory hath departed, and all that remains now is judgment.

Belief. Disbelief/Unbelief. Each of these words describes a state of mind. Belief reflects a positive attitude towards a possibility. Disbelief/unbelief reflect a changed mind in that respect, or an attitude of having no interest. But it is crucial to understand that belief is not an end unto itself, but merely a starting point towards a full actualization of that which may be possible. Once that actualization has happened, mere ‘may be possible’ (belief) withers away, a remanant or artifact that is no longer needed. One could say that the actualized in Christ are unbelievers — those who once believed, yet need no longer maintain that belief, to remain rested in uncompromised and uncompromisable faith. I realize that this may sound like only an argument about semantics, and in some cases that is true. But too many are caught up in their belief, thinking to be so wise as to believe, as if that was the epitome of faith, yet not maturing past that first baby step. Let us be very careful here. Once we (actually) move in and with Christ belief is done, and the power of His Kingdom emerges. In that state, yes, encourage belief, that others may follow. And then allow them to let belief wither and fall away, as their hearts are lifted, and their minds are able then to share control with the heart in faith. In such Grace.

#1– The Old Testament is full of prophets complaining (preaching) about national sins.

#6 Where do people get he extremely silly idea that all sins are equally bad? That jaywalking is as bad as murder? Or buying a lottery ticket is as bad as adultery? Jesus told us repeatedly that guilt increases when you sin against knowledge. Moses prescribed restitution for stealing animals, but death for stealing (kidnapping) people.

Maybe “sinners” don’t hang out with “us” because “they” don’t like “us” calling “them” sinners. C’mon leaders, let’s all learn from past religious persecution movements and just realize that we are all the same in God’s eyes: His children. And God sent Christ for ALL of humanity and reconciled us to Him while we were yet his enemies.

I really appreciate your posts. I have been one of those individuals living on the fringes of society in different ways. As a young child I knew that there was someone watching over me and I would talk to it. I began going to church, as a “bus kid” , and I learned that there was a God and a Jesus, while in Sunday school. I then realized that that was whom I had been talking to. I was excited to learn about Jesus and the Bible stories. I excepted Christ while at church camp, innocently done, but I knew that I accepted Him from my heart. During the times of going to church, I felt like I didn’t belong. That was in part because of my home life and part, because of the way I was treated at church by some people. I kept wondering where was the love at that I was learning from the Bible? Fast forward several years. As an adult and parent, teaching my children about God and Jesus, was very important, but I had lots of confusion and distortion learned. I sought out finding a church, yet I had been told that my children were going to suffer the consequences of my sin and divorce, and they were considered “bastards” and God wouldn’t accept them. I kept asking , where is the love that I learned about? How devastating to hear such cruel things, yet God was about love. As the years went by, I went to different churches, trying to find truth, acceptance and love. Sometimes it seemed as if I had found some at least. I tried to teach my children as best as I could, as I learned. But at times I would get too strict. Finally I reached a point where I had grown enough and learned enough, by studying the Bible, that I began asking the Lord some raw questions. Where is the love that you teach? How can I share the Lord with others when there are so many roadblocks? How do I balance my convictions and still be genuine to others, with love, understanding and compassion? I got back into studying the Bible, even deeper and more sincere to find answers. I did a lot of praying, just talking to the Lord. I have known people from all walks of life, many of whom many Christians would not come near. I have identified with many of those ” unacceptable people” and it hurt to think that we were not accepted. So I come to the understanding, was enlightened by any things. I had been stuck, held prisoner, in legalism and condemnation. I began to be set free by the truth, the Lord’s truth. I was also convicted and humbled to know that I had doing the same things in certain ways. The Lord showed me that He loved me just as I am, good, bad and ugly. He showed me the truth about me. His grace and unconditional love was meant for all of us and He was not a discriminator. Jesus died for all of us!!!! As He showed me who He was, who I am and am not, that I needed to be the same to others as He has been to me. We all are sinners. It doesn’t matter how big or small the sin. A sin is a sin. But just how the Lord wooed me to Him is the same as we should be to others. We need to be genuine not manipulative, in showing Christ like love. We cannot discriminate who to love and not love. Let us be a genuine example of love and compassion, not judging. Let the Lord do His work while we are doing what we are supposed to. I am still a work in progress, I do sin, but I love the Lord, and I am learning to love others better. I share with my children and others what I have learned, because I don’t want them to be stuck or turn away from the Lord. I also tell them to check out places of worship to see where the Lord would have them be. They have seen and experienced discrimination in churches and Christians. We all need authenticity. So, I apologize if this has been too long, but I felt led to share some of my story. God Bless.